6th Annual Independent Games Festival Names Finalists

The Independent Games Festival has announced the finalists in the sixth annual Independent Games Festival (IGF) Competition, which will exhibit their games the Game Developers Conference March 24-26, 2004 in San Jose, California. Selected by a panel of game industry professionals, game development teams will compete for more than $40,000 in cash prizes, double the payout from previous years.

Responding to the skyrocketing number of games played within web browsers, and games small enough to be downloaded from Websites, the IGF split the competition into two categories: "Web/Downloadable Games" and an "Open" category for all other games. Games in each category will be eligible for six awards: Innovation In Audio, Innovation In Game Design, Innovation In Visual Arts, Technical Excellence, The Audience Award and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize for Independent Game of the Year.

The Independent Games Festival was established in 1998 by the CMP Game Group to encourage innovation in game development and to recognize the best independent game developers, the way the Sundance Film Festival has benefited the independent film community. More information about the finalist games can be found at www.igf.com.